Convenience outlet



May 21, 1935. ,v, R DESPARD 2,002,434

CONVENIENCE OUTLET Filed. April 21, 1932 m fi v 6 Patented May 21, 1935UNITED STATES N OFFICE Victor R. Despard, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor toPass & Seymour-,Ina, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New Yorkapplication April 2l, 1932, Serial No 606,733.,

12 Claims (01. 177-311) This invention relates to convenience outletsand particularly to the structure and mounting of contacts for suchdevices. 7

It is a general object of the present invention 5 1totp rovide anoveland improved convenience oute One of the important features of theinvention resides in the provision of improved contact structure for usewith convenience outlets.

- Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision ofa third orauxiliary contact for-a two-pole convenience outlet adapted tobe contacted by the same attachment plug blade as contacts one of themain terminals, whereby a circuit can be closed for lighting a pilotlight. l l

A still further object of the invention resides'in the provision of anauxiliary contact supported by but insulated froma portion of one of themain contacts and-adapted to be engaged by the same plug blade asengages this main contact.

Other important features include the manner of mounting the contacts inthe insulating housing, the terminal arrangement for the main andauxiliary contacts, and the closure means for the housing. V

Other features and advantages-of the invention will be more apparent tothose skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanyingdrawing and following'specification, wherein is disclosed a singleexemplary embodiment of the invention with the understanding that suchchanges and -modiflcations may bemade therein as fall within the scopeof the appended claims without departing, from the spiritof theinvention; In said drawing: W Figure l is a side elevation of aconvenience outlet constructed according tothe present invention andshown mounted behind a cover or 40 .wall plate which is in section; V

@ Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a central vertical section through a terminal contactassembly taken on line 5-5 of 5 Figure}, omitting the housing andshowing 'a L plug blade in position to illustrate its engagement fwithboth the. main and auxiliary contacts;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a main contact and itsv auxiliarycontact; and

H A Figure 7 is a face view of a modified form of 554,323, for Electricwiring apparatus.

- Within the housing and inserted from the rear supplying power forlamps and similar, small portable devices, and also for supplying power5 for toasters, electric irons, and the like, where conveniencereceptacles which provide means for lighting a pilot lamp or similarwarning signal to indicate that they are in use. The pilot light may bemounted in the same wall plate or may be mounted at a distancetherefrom, as, for instance, in the kitchen to indicate that a poweroutlet in the cellarlaundry is being used.

The present invention provides a convenience outlet which by the mereinterchange of terminals can be made either a straight power out- 90-let or a power outlet with provision for pilot light tended for radiopurposes and so polarized that it is impossible to insert the wrongplug; l r' The invention is disclosed in connection with a mountingbridge for supporting interchangeably a plurality of wiring devices,such, for instance, as shown in my application Serial Number Themountingbridge for supporting the convenience outlet in a conduit box isshown at H) and the conventional cover or wall plate through which theface of the outlet. extends is shown at H. Itwill be appreciated thatthe invention is not restricte d to the par ticular Way of mounting theconvenienceoutlet but that it can be applied to conventionalforms ofsingle or duplex conven- ,ience outlets withequal facility.

Theconvenience outlet includes the body [2 of suitable insulatingmaterial, for instance, a

molded composition, having a reduced neck portion l4 which projectsthrough the opening in the cover plate. The .casing or housing I2 issubstantially rectangular. in cross section, having the end walls IS,the side walls 16, and. the open back whichpermits access to the recessl8 therein. This recess is associated with the front face by means oftheattachmentplug blade apertures I9.

is a pairof. contact assemblies 20, 2|. The assembly 20 isa singlecontact, whereas the assembly 2| includes both the power contact and anauxiliary contact for pilot light operation.

These: contact assemblies are interchangeable,

and it is possible to form a plain power outlet by providing two of theassemblies 20.

With the arrangement shown in Figure 2, one of each kind of the contactassemblies is included to provide a pilot light operating power outlet.The main portions of the contact assemblies 26 and 2! are identical.Each is formed from a sheet of :suitablezresilient material, such'as,iphcsphor bronze, and includes azflatdoase 23.:having lateral lugs 24thereon. Extending upwardly at right angles from this base 23 is the arm25 offset as at 26 to provide a plug blade engaging portion 28 beyondwhich is a flared end 2'! to-guide'the plug blade. The other armnf.thegenerally U shaped contact includes the wire terminal nortion 29which is perforated and threaded as at 30 for the reception of aterminal screwfil. lt is thence offset as at 32 to bringthebladeengaging portion 33 close to the portion for the same purpose on theopposite arm. It also is provided with a 'fiared end 34. The plug blade35 is received between the two spring arms --'of the contact andelectrically engages both-of them.

The contact assembly is mounted in the housing by being dropped intoposition through the rear opening in 'the housing and with the lugs 31on the terminal portion 2'9 seated in grooves 38 at the junction of thesides and-endwa'll of the housing. "The lugs '24 on the base of thecontact assembly are received in "notches '38 in the rear edges of theside walls. Thus the terminal is prevented from moving in the directionof the axis of the terminal screw and "also from rotating about an axisthrough the lugs'i l, since a portion of the terminal section engagesthe end wall as at "4B. when in position, the flared ends 2! and 34 ofthe contacta-rmsstra ddle the-opening 1 9 and clear-the back ofthe-front wall to permit freedom of movement.

The lugs Mare-set intothe-notohes '39 at such a depth that the bottomwall of the base '23 of the contact is flush with therear edgesofthe-s'i'de and end walls of the housing, and thehousing end is thenclosed'by an insulating sheet -42 held in positionby a'meta-l plate 43partiaily covering it and having the down turned lugs W4 received inshallow recesses iS-i'n the side walls'of the housing and securedtherein "in any suitable manner, as, for instance, in accordance withthe showing in my copending application Serial Number 587,599, forAttaching means for metal parts and insulating material. Theterminalscrews 3! have their heads and 'a portion of the part-2'9 of thecontact assembly adjacent them exposed through the notches 46 at therear edges of *the end walls in order that wires may be attachedthereto.

To support an auxiliary contact which is adapted to be connectedelectrically to the -main contact by a plug blade to place a pilot lightin circuit, it :is found convenient, according -to the presentinvention, to support this auxiliary contact from one arm of amaincontact. For this purpose the arm 25 of the'main contact is providedwith a rectangular aperture 50, best seen in Figures 4 andf5. Disposedlaterally of this aperture on the edges of the-arm is a pair of integrallugs 51 bent up at right angles to the plane of the arm. A sheet ofinsulating material -52 is applied against the outer face of the arm '25between thebase and the offset '26, and is notched as at'53 to receivethe lugs 5 l which are thensplit and spread as at 54 to securely holdthe sheet in place.

The sheet is centered over the aperture and is centrally perforated asat 56 for the passage of the shank 51 of the auxiliary contact which isformed from a sheet of metal to have a substantially semi-circular head58 which overhangs the shank sufliciently so that, when inserted throughthe aperture 56, the overhang rests against the inner face of theinsulation sheet and the head clears the aperture in the arm of the maincontact. After being positioned, :thershankiis split and spread as at.59 to permanently :secure the auxiliary contact in position. Of coursethe :auxiliary contact is engaged in the insulation sheet before thissheet is mounted on the main terminal. As seen in Figure 5, the blade 35of the attachment ,plug ,passes up between the arms of the main contact,engages both of them and has iitsiinner end inacontact with the roundedface of the auxiliary contact.

To provide a connection to this auxiliary contactjsitsisdound convenientto provide a hole 60 in the end of the shank and to pass the tinned end61 of an insulated flexible conductor 52 through this 'hole and'to' thenstake the 'hole closed as clearly seen in Figures 2and"5. This-pinchesthe wiring in position, making a secure 'mechanical connection and asuitable electrical connection. The conductor 62 is led out through aclose -fittinghole litinthe'insulation sheet42 and-through a larger hole64 in the metal 'cover plate 4 3.

The main terminals are 'made exactly alike for "convenience inmanufacture and only those =re- 'quiring the auxiliary terminal 'havethe insulation sheet-carrying this terminal'applied thereto. The othershave the apertureand'thelugs dl which are not used.

In the event that a convenience outlet is -'de- I ure' 'I, but the mainportion of the body mustbe enlarged as at 10 in order to receive acontact assembly identical with that shown at 20 in "Figure2 butinclined at the same angle as the aperture 12 in order that ablade'pass'ing through that aperture will directly engage it. Such ac'onvenience outlet will be provided with two plain contact assemblieswhich are positioned and held in place exactly-as described connectionwith the power outlet embodiment.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto2bsecuredbyLetters Patent is:

1. 'In a convenience ou'tlet,*in combination, a pair of contact springsfor connection to a-power circuit and arranged to be contacted by theiprongs of .anattachment plug, :a contact for connection to a pilot lampand insulating means :attached to one of said contact springs andsupporting said contact therefrom .and in the path of the plug prongengaging said spring for :con-

tact therewith.

.2. A contact assembly for a convenience outlet including incombination, a spring member having a pair of armsspaced .to receive andelectrically contact a plug blade therebetween, insulating materialsecured to one of said .arms .and an auxiliary contact member carried bysaid material and disposed between said arms in the ,path of the plugblade for contact therewith.

'3. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination,a sheet of metal formed into U shape to receive a plug blade between thearms thereof, one of said arms having an aperture, a contact elementextending through said aperture out of contact therewith and having aportion in the path of and to engage the plug blade when insertedbetween the arms, and insulating material supporting said element fromone of said arms.

4. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, aresilient contact arm having a portion offset to be engaged by a plug.blade, said arm having an aperture therein below saidofiset, anauxiliary contact extending through said aperture and into the path ofsaid blade to be engaged thereby, and insulating material supportingsaid auxiliary contact from said contact arm.

5. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, aresilient contact arm having a portion adapted to be engaged by a plugblade, an auxiliary contact and insulating material supporting saidauxiliary contact from said contact arm and in the path of the plugblade to be engaged thereby.

6. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, acontact arm of sheet metal having an aperture therein, a lug extendingfrom each of the lateral edges of the arm and bent at right angles tothe plane thereof, a sheet of insulation against one face of said armand secured thereto by said lugs, and an auxiliary contact carried bysaid sheet and extending through said aperture to a position to beengaged by the same plug blade which engages the main contact member.

7. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, acontact arm of sheet metal having an aperture therein, a lug extendingfrom each of the lateral edges of the arm and bent at right angles tothe plane thereof, a sheet of insulation against one face of said armand secured thereto by said lugs, said sheet having an aperture smallerthan and registering with the aperture in said arm and an auxiliarycontact extending through both apertures, said auxiliary contact beingout of electrical engagement with the arm and extending to a position tobe engaged by the same plug blade which engages the main contact member.

8. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, acontact arm of sheet housing of insulating material having plug bladereceiving openings in its front face and an open back, a pair of contactsprings inserted from the back, a terminal member on each contact springand extending through an end wall of the housing, an auxiliary contactadapted to be electrically connected to one of the contact springs by aplug blade, and a connecting member for said auxiliary contact extendingthrough the rear of said housing.

10. In a two-pole convenience outlet, in combination, a pair of maincontact members each adapted to be engaged by a blade of an attachmentplug, a third contact and main contact supported insulatingmeanspositioning said third contact for engagement by the said plugblade that engages one of the main contact members.

11. In a convenience outlet, in combination, a pair of contactspringsfor connection to a power circuit and each having a portion near one endadapted to be contacted by a blade of an attachment plug, a contact forconnection to a pilot lamp, means insulating and supporting said contactfrom one of said contact springs, the relative positions of said portionand contact being such that the plug blade first engages the portion andthen while still in contact therewith engages the contact.

12. In a convenience outlet, in combination, a pair of contact springsfor connection to a power circuit and each having spaced arms near oneend adapted to contact two sides of a blade of an attachment plug, acontact for connection to a pilot lamp, means supporting said contactbetween one pair of said arms and out of engagement with the springs,the said contact being so located that it is engaged by a plug bladeafter that blade has engaged the adjacent contact spring arms.

VICTOR R. DESPARD.

